On This Day

Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (41) marries Charlotte Frances Payne-Townshend (41) in Covent Garden, London.

George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist.

George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond. He wrote more than sixty plays, including major works such as Man and Superman (1902), Pygmalion (1913) and Saint Joan (1923). With a range incorporating both contemporary satire and historical allegory, Shaw became the leading dramatist of his generation, and in 1925 was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Born in Dublin, Shaw moved to London in 1876; he struggled to establish himself as a writer and novelist, and embarked on a rigorous process of self-education.

Historical Significance

George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist.

Key People

George Bernard Shaw

playwright, critic, and polemicist

Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist

Events Before

  1. Norway adopts Central European time

    Central European Time (CET) is a standard time observed in Central as well as parts of Western and Southeast Europe, which is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

  2. Philippine revolutionary Emilio Aguinaldo becomes a Freemason, joining Pilar Lodge No. 203 in Imus, Cavite

    Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy was a Filipino revolutionary, statesman, and military leader who was the first president of the Philippines from 1899 to 1901, and the first president of an Asian...

  3. J. Edgar Hoover is born

    J. Edgar Hoover, American law enforcement administrator, known for american law enforcement administrator, was born on 1895-01-01.

  4. Gustav Mahler conducts the premiere of his incomplete 2nd Symphony ("Resurrection") in Berlin, Germany, with the Berlin

    Gustav Mahler conducts the premiere of his incomplete 2nd Symphony ("Resurrection") in Berlin, Germany, with the Berlin Philharmonic; the complete version debuts in December

  5. Auguste and Louis Lumière show their first movie to an invited audience

    Auguste and Louis Lumière show their first movie to an invited audience

Events After

  1. Invasion of Benin City by British Expeditionary Force; the city is burned and looted, ending the Nigerian Kingdom of Ben

    Invasion of Benin City by British Expeditionary Force; the city is burned and looted, ending the Nigerian Kingdom of Benin formed in the 11th century

  2. British boxer Bob Fitzsimmons KOs American champion 'Gentleman' Jim Corbett in the 14th round to win the World Heavyweig

    British boxer Bob Fitzsimmons KOs American champion 'Gentleman' Jim Corbett in the 14th round to win the World Heavyweight title in Carson City, Nevada

  3. 1st Boston Marathon (B.A.A. Road Race), won by John J. McDermott in 2:55:10; the world's oldest annual marathon inspired

    1st Boston Marathon (B.A.A. Road Race), won by John J. McDermott in 2:55:10; the world's oldest annual marathon inspired by success of the first marathon at the 1896 Summer Olympics

  4. Salomon August Andrée and crew leave Spitsbergen in northern Norway by balloon, heading for the North Pole

    Salomon August Andrée and crew leave Spitsbergen in northern Norway by balloon, heading for the North Pole

  5. Thomas Edison patents the Kinetoscope [kinetographic camera], a device that produces moving pictures

    The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device, designed for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole viewer window.

More from the 1890s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on June 1, 1896?
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 1880s to his death and beyond. He wrote more than sixty plays, including major works such as Man and Superman (1902), Pygmalion (1913) and Saint Joan (1923).
Why is Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (41) marries Charlotte Frances Payne-Tow... significant?
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist.
Who was involved in Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (41) marries Charlotte Frances Payne-Tow...?
Key figures include George Bernard Shaw (playwright, critic, and polemicist).

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